Welcome to this special Blog update on our World Cruise on Queen Victoria. Having left Singapore and Phuket we enjoyed two great ports in India. Firstly Cochin which is less developed than Mumbai and you certainly feel you are seeing the real India. Taking one of the “Tuk Tuk’s” is an adventure in itself, especially when you start to realize there are no “Stop” signs or traffic lights! Then you also discover that the tour must include a stopover at the driver’s cousin’s souvenir shop and another; and another! This was a great picture which gives you a good feel of the city with Queen Victoria towering over the buildings in the background.

Some of the greatest Cunard traditions we have continued with on Queen Victoria are the events which raise money for charity. In addition to the money we raise for The Prince’s Trust on every voyage, we also raise money for charities chosen by the ship’s officers and crew on World Cruise, and this year they include: Mercy Ships UK, The Rose Road Appeal Southampton, Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation Philippines and the Good Shepherd Hospital Swaziland. There are many events which help to raise money for these very worthwhile organisations. I have asked Kerry Spencer who works in our Library and Bookshop to write a Guest Blog.

Guest Blog – Kerry Spencer – Queen Victoria Librarian

When I came to Queen Victoria last year I thought it would be nice to carry on the traditional World Cruise Charity Swim that the Librarians started a number of years ago on QE2. To get the ball rolling I sent an email out to all the ships officers and crew to ask if anyone would be interested in taking part in this year’s charity swim, I was instantly swamped with replies. After much deliberation the lucky, (if that’s the right word!), swimmers were selected – and what a line up it was to be.

I was going to be joined by Gaynor Van De Venter, the World Cruise Concierge looking after our full World Cruise guests and Rebecca de Ruus, who is one of the On Board Voyage Sales Specialists and is well known by many of our regular guests. The final member of our team was Nicola Edwards, who although she is a lovely lady we do hope that as few as guest as possible get to meet her as she is our senior nursing officer! Here she is with one of the charitable organisations we are supporting this year; the Good Shepherd Hospital in Swaziland

The day came but Nicola was unable to get away from work so Liz Williams, travelling on board with her partner Staff Engineer John Camish, was kind enough to step in at the last minute. We decided that we wanted to make an entrance poolside on the day, the Chief Officer was kind enough to loan us some immersion suits that would normally be used by the deck department. We were advised that we should be able to don the suits in just one minute. Well after a lot of pulling, squeezing and giggling, we were all suited and booted and ready to waddle our way to the pool. As you might have guessed this process took considerably more than a minute!

We swam for one hour and managed a pretty impressive 274 laps between us, and yes we were all staggering when we got out of the pool! Fortunately we were joined by Nicola in the end and she swam with us for moral support which was very welcome. Here we all are at the end of the event, trying not to look too exhausted!

After some very generous donations from guests on board we reached a total of over $1600 which will be added to the World Cruise Charities fund. I am now looking forward to next year when I can again take my annual dip in the pool!

Thank you very much Kerry and congratulations to you all for your achievement in swimming so many lengths and raising a tremendous amount of money for the World Cruise Charities. Meanwhile Queen Victoria was heading for her second Indian Port and this time it was the bustling city of Mumbai. One of the most recognisable landmarks is the “Gateway of India” which is located on the waterfront in Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai.

The Gateway is a basalt arch 26 metres (85 ft) high and in earlier times, it was the monument that visitors arriving by boat would have first seen in the city of what was then called Bombay. This area has been undergoing a lot of refurbishment over recent years and looks almost complete. Opposite the Gateway is the very impressive Taj Hotel.

Following the tragic events last year, it was fantastic to see that despite the damage, the building is open again for business having been painstakingly restored to its former glory. They have done an amazing job and the only indication of that day last November is a fitting memorial by the main lobby.

After a wonderful day which included the purchased of Saris by many of the ladies, everyone celebrated at the “Night at the Raj” ball the following evening. Well that’s about it for now but I’ll be back on Thursday with more news and regular features. Cheers for now – Alastair

Welcome to another week’s blogging and I have a lot of variety for you including a blog from Captain Nick Bates onboard Queen Mary 2 and a report from Queen Victoria’s second World Cruise Dinner. Thanks for all the comments and posts regarding Queen Elizabeth, it’s great to hear from so many of you and as promised I will keep you updated with all the news as soon as I get it. Also thank you to those of you who sent links to pictures of Queen Mary 2 next to QE2 in Dubai – I hope to post some pictures of us next to our former sister on next Thursday’s Blog. Before we get any further though, here’s “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week of the 26^th to the 2^nd April.

March 29 1950

Caronia completes her first “Great African Cruise”, arriving back in Southampton

March 27 1989

QE2 is chartered for 72 days by a consortium of Japanese companies

March 29 1998

Nelson Mandela sails on QE2 from Durban to Cape Town – This is the first time a Head of State has travelled on board since HM The Queen in 1990

One of the main highlights for World Cruisers is the celebratory “World Cruise Dinner” This is where we invite all our full world Cruise guests (this year we have 752 on board Queen Victoria) to a special gala evening in an exciting shore side venue. It’s always a challenge for our organisers to build upon the previous year’s successes, but with this year’s venue of the prestigious Shangri La Hotel in Singapore, they certainly achieved it. Our guests were greeted to the venue by our President and Managing Director Carol Marlow, Captain Wright and his senior officers, at the head of a petal strewn red carpet. At the reception we were offered drinks including the traditional “Singapore Sling” and treated to some wonderful local entertainment including fire eaters, artists, singers and a variety of interactive street performers. We were then ushered in to the sumptuous surroundings of the grand ballroom which was decorated beautifully for the occasion with stunning floral arrangements on each table.

We were also able to enjoy the music from a fabulous orchestra, and being Cunarders the dancing started right away! I had the pleasure of introducing Captain Paul Wright who talked about the voyage so far before going on leave the following day for a well deserved holiday. He welcomed Captain Ian McNaught to Queen Victoria who will be on board until Captain Wright returns in May. Carol Marlow then officially welcomed World Cruisers to the gala dinner with a short presentational preview of Queen Elizabeth. Then just before dinner was served, we were treated to a special performance of Chinese Opera. The performer was Madame See Too Hoi Siang and it was great to enjoy music from a performer who had won “The Outstanding Young Person in the World Award” for cultural achievement.

After a wonderful dinner the dancing continued where even yours truly took to the floor, for what I would describe as more of a shuffle than a dance, but I think most of my dance partner’s feet remained relatively intact throughout the evening!

Meanwhile Queen Mary 2 has passed us on her World Cruise and as I write this is heading towards the Suez Canal. It was great to hear from Captain Nick Bates who recently rejoined, while Commodore Warner takes a break. In case some of you have not had the chance to sail with Captain Bates I thought I would first share his background with you.

Born in Northern Ireland, Captain Bates is the offspring of two traditional seafaring families. His father spent most of his adult life at sea and his grandfather was a traditional sailing shipmaster. Brought up in the small fishing village of Ardglass and educated in the farming town of. Downpatrick, his academic achievements could at best be described as average. He did however go on to attend the Nautical College in Belfast, where he graduated top of his year. From there he joined the cargo ship subsidiary of Cunard Line, Port Line and began learning his trade on the UK to Australia, New Zealand run. He obtained his masters “Ticket” in the winter of 1975 and shortly after was offered a position as Junior Navigator onboard Queen Elizabeth 2. This short term contract soon turned out to be a lifetime commitment as he since remained with Cunard Line. He received his first command in 1995 onboard the Cunard Countess, cruising around the Caribbean. Since then, he has been in command of the Crown Majesty, Seabourn Goddess II, Caronia and of course Queen Elizabeth 2. He currently resides in Edinburgh and lists his hobbies, among other things, as Golf (badly), Scuba Diving (warm water only) and sport of any kind.

He was kind enough to send this message to the Blog this week:-

Since my return to the magnificent Queen Mary 2 in Hong Kong, it has certainly been extremely busy, but I must say that this ship is truly an icon of the 21^st century and not only is it is a pleasure to be her Captain but in reality an honour. As we start the 4^th and final leg of our world cruise we are fortunate to have my old friend Patrick O’Shaugnhessy travelling with us once again. In case you were not aware, Patrick is the seventh son of the seventh son of an Irish Peat Bog farmer. This unusual combination has endowed Patrick with great wisdom and fortitude, as all our world cruise guests will testify. It has been my pleasure to share some of that wisdom during our daily Noon time broadcasts. Probably best to come and hear his wisdom for yourself. Yesterday we left Dubai having berthed just astern of our famous sister QE2, and like so many of us, all those fond memories of my time there came flooding back. Looking at her as she awaits her new life, I also felt the time had come to move on and look forward to the excitement that hails the new Queen Elizabeth in 2010.

Thank you Captain Bates for the message and we look forward to hearing more from Queen Mary 2 again soon.

Meanwhile back on board Queen Victoria we were fortunate to have Carol Marlow sailing with us for a couple of days during which time she told me how much she had enjoyed meeting many guests and crewmembers.

Many of you will be familiar with our famed “White Star Service” which enables Cunard to deliver a level and comfort unique in today’s world. Every Cunard vessel has a White Star Service committee made up of the department heads of our guest service areas. The committee meets regularly to discuss guest service and to respond to suggestions made by members of the ships’ crew for improving service. Our guests are encouraged to recognise crew members, who have gone out of their way to provide outstanding service, by completing “You Have Been a Star!” Service Recognition Nominee Card. As a result of these cards, and other recommendations, the onboard committee votes for a “Star of the Month” and Carol Marlow hosted a cocktail party for our White Star winners and runners up.

This was followed by an exclusive dinner for the winners with Carol in the Britannia Restaurant, and those attending told me afterwards how much they enjoyed it. We also had a lot of guests who mentioned what a great idea it was and how they enjoyed seeing the very best crew members being recognized in this way.

Well time and space has beaten me again, so thanks again for logging on and please do keep those comments and questions coming in. Meanwhile I will be back twice next week (Monday and Thursday), with a guest blog and another update on Queen Victoria’s World Cruise with pictures from India . We also have some news regarding the activities on board to raise money for our World Cruise Charities – so until then. Cheers – Alastair

Well what a week; it’s certainly been busy on the Blog and of course the big news this week was the unveiling of our new Cunarder on Tuesday – Queen Elizabeth. In fact you can see a video of the press launch in London, with Carol Marlow (President and Managing Director of Cunard Line), by clicking on this link: -

http://www.cunard.co.uk/qelaunch/

Thanks for all your comments regarding this breaking news and it’s great to hear that you are as excited as we are on board. Mind you I do have an apology to make to some of our Cunard World Club members, who have alerted me that they had not received communications about Queen Elizabeth’s “on sale” date. Sorry about that but in my excitement I made a mistake. These communications are in place and I can confirm that these details are currently being distributed globally and you can rest assured the “on sale” date is the same for all past guests no matter where they live in the world!

Meanwhile we will be welcoming Carol Marlow to Queen Victoria today, for our World Cruise Dinner tonight (more on that next week), and she’ll be sailing with us for a couple of days so I’ll keep you posted if I get any more news. Meanwhile we are about to start our final leg of our 2009 World Cruise – was it really 74 days ago that we started this adventure? Wow time does fly when you are at sea enjoying yourself! We have had a great week on board with visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand, as well as finding “Stars” amoungst our crew in a special show – so lots to tell. Firstly though, as usual, here’s “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week of the 19^th to the 25^th of March.

March 22 1921

Scythia II is launched and enters service later the same year

March 20 1950

Caronia II makes her maiden call to Algiers, Algeria – 1 of only 2 calls she ever made there

March 19 1975

QE2 makes her maiden call at Los Angeles, USA

March 25 1975

QE2 makes her first transit of the Panama Canal, making her the largest ship to travel through the canal

March 21 2003

Queen Mary 2 is floated out of the building dock

Hong Kong is frequently described as a city where east meets west, and it has always been a highlight of the World Cruise for guests and crew alike and if you have ever been there you’ll know why. Whether it’s shopping on Nathan Road, taking a ferry across to Hong Kong Island or enjoying a stunning meal at the renowned Peninsular Hotel, it’s still one of the most exciting cities in the world. This is the former British dependency that boasts the largest double-decker tram fleet and more Rolls Royces than anywhere else in the World. It was a great day, with a perfect ending, when Captain Wright announced that the ship had been granted permission to sail through Hong Kong harbour on way to our next port in Vietnam. It was a real treat to see the night skyline from the best vantage point in the harbour! We all had ample opportunity to take some great pictures but there are times when it’s best left to the professionals; so I’d like to thank our on board photographic team for this superb picture of Hong Kong Island

Vietnam was our next stop and the beautiful scenery of Nha Trang which gave our guests a relaxing time on a stunning sun drenched beach before the excitement of Ho Chi Minh City the following day. It was a bit of a drive to get there (and this turned out to be an adventure in itself) from the port town of Phu My. It is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta with a population of more than nine million people – most of whom it seems own a motorbike. I have never seen so many bikes and many of them seem to be competing on how much it’s possible to fit on one bike. We saw livestock, fridges and even a washing machine balancing precariously on the back of what were questionably roadworthy vehicles. Perhaps one of the winners of this competition could be this chap managing to balance all sorts of building materials on his bike – complete with scaffolding!

Of course this was another opportunity to shop, and where better? Here you could buy anything with a designer label and even a painting of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” which we weren’t allowed to touch as the paint was still wet – and you think I’m kidding! Wood work was also very popular here and I went with our Senior Doctor, Peter Hawthorne, to help him buy a fully rigged model sailing ship he had promised himself the last time he was here. Mind you we were surprised by this model which had clearly lost a little in translation being called “Mery II”. Does it look familiar? Well I suppose we can’t all be perfect!

That night our guests were treated by another World Cruise favourite, a deck BBQ. As usual this was a huge success and I just had to take this photo of the food & beverage team who got in to the spirit of the day in their Vietnamese headwear already to begin service!

By the way talking of the food and beverage team, huge congratulations must go to them as I heard today, that according to Cruise Critic voters, Cunard was voted fine food flagship, in a recent survey amoungst British Cruise travellers. Cunard beat the nearest competition by 6% which particularly impressive as sixty percent of those taking part in the survey, said that a cruise line’s overall reputation for quality cuisine would affect their choice of line.

Meanwhile they were also celebrating success in another way, as the winner of a crew competition was announced as one of their bar staff. In a tradition started last year on Queen Victoria, we held auditions amoungst our crew to look for great singers who could perform as someone famous. Some of you may remember the TV Show “Stars in Their Eyes”; well this was an opportunity for budding singers to show off their talents and I have to say there was stiff competition. Many departments were represented including Engineers, Shop Staff, Waiters and even a member of the Medical Team, as nine singers battled it out in a special show. Not only did our guests get to see this one off very professionally presented performance, but they decided on the winner when they were asked to vote for their favourite performer. The result was so close that we had a recount and found our Champion for 2009.

Playing the part of Jamie Jones, Ryan Latumbo did a fantastic rendition of “I Swear” and he won his audience over with his great voice and charm. He was a star for at least a day any way, with an interview on the ship’s morning TV show and now there are even rumours of him releasing an album! Meanwhile Ryan, from the Philippines, said he loved every minute and is ready to defend his title again next year.

Well that’s about it for another week – unless there is any breaking news in the meantime so please keep logging on and posting your comments. Cheers – Alastair

Yes; it’s official Queen Elizabeth will officially join the Cunard fleet on October the 12^th 2010. There was a press release today outlining the debut of Cunard’s second largest ship ever built. She will be the third new ocean liner to be introduced by Cunard in six years, giving one of the oldest names in shipping the youngest fleet in the industry. She is named after the first Queen Elizabeth, and will reference her predecessor in interior grandeur, décor and style, but with a modern twist. Art Deco features will pay homage to her namesake, and will allow the new ship to reflect a more civilized era of travel. According to the press release there will be the familiar features such as the “Queens Room”, but will also include a favourite venue from Queen Elizabeth 2, with her very own “Yacht Club”. There’ll also be a “Garden Lounge”, with a magnificent vaulted glass ceiling creating a conservatory feel inspired by the glass houses of Kew Gardens. She’ll also have a Games Deck which will offer croquet, paddle tennis and traditional British bowls. She will of course have the celebrated luxury Grills accommodation and dining, with its al fresco dining option on an exclusive deck terrace.

 

So what about the maiden voyage I hear you ask – well that will be on the 12^th of October 2010 and will take guests on a 13-night voyage departing Southampton, calling at Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma and Madeira. The initial Queen Elizabeth brochure launched today includes itineraries up to January 2011 including voyages to the Western and Central Mediterranean and a “Caribbean Welcome” inaugural Christmas voyage departing round trip from Southampton for 22 nights with calls to Madeira, Tortola, St Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Antigua and The Azores.

So if you would like to be the first to book on our new Queen, reservations for the Maiden Voyage and inaugural season can be made from 1pm UK time (6pm East Coast US, 9pm West Coast) on 2 April. To find out more news you can click on this link from tomorrow (18^th March)

www.cunard.com/queenelizabeth

 

Meanwhile as soon as I find out anything else or get any picture previews, I’ll let you know so keep logging on. I will be back as usual on Thursday with more news. Cheers – Alastair

 

 

 

 

By now many of you have heard that Grammy^® Award-winning singer-songwriter James Taylor and his band will perform during Queen Mary 2’s 19^th June 2009 eastbound Transatlantic Crossing from New York to Southampton. He becomes part of the Cunard family of celebrities who have travelled with the line over the last 169 years. James Taylor will headline two Cunard Command Performances in the ship’s Royal Court Theatre during the six-day voyage.

 

Over the course of his career, he has earned 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards and five Grammy Awards for works ranging from ‘Sweet Baby James’ in 1970 to ‘Covers’, his most recent album featuring his own interpretation of tunes from the 50s, 60s and 70s and for which he was nominated for two 2009 Grammy Awards. One of his most well known covers is probably the 1971 “You’ve Got a Friend” which also earned him a Grammy. In 2000, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Most recently, he was one of a select few music artists who performed for President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

 

James Taylor said “I’ve always wanted to take an ocean liner back to Europe. It’s such a civilised way to go and Queen Mary 2 is the last word in first class travel. It seemed an impossible dream to use the passage to transport and rehearse our summer tour: band, crew and family; kit and caboodle. I’m certainly looking forward to the pair of concerts at the end of the trip and, hallelujah, no jet lag.”

 

James Taylor will also take time out of his rehearsal schedule and be interviewed by Queen Mary 2’s Entertainment Director in front of a live audience in association with Cunard Insights. Following the interview guests will have the opportunity to take photographs with and get autographs from iconic music man.

 

Apparently there are still some staterooms available so for fans of James Taylor – this could be one of the most stylish ways of getting to see him perform in an up close and intimate setting.

 

Information about performance days, showtimes and ticketing for the two performances will communicated on board Queen Mary 2 after departing New York.

 

Thank you again for logging on and I will be back as usual on Thursday with more news. Cheers – Alastair

I’m very pleased to announce that Cunard’s longest-serving four-stripe officer, Hotel Manager John Duffy, has received the prestigious Seatrade Insider Cruise Award, ‘Seagoing Employee of the Year 2008’, in recognition of his long and distinguished service with the company and his service on board QE2. I know many of you will know John from his years on QE2, and I have had the pleasure of working with him when I was there and soon understood why he has become a Cunard legend in his own right. With this in mind I thought it was a perfect opportunity to ask John if I could interview him for this blog. But before we get to that, I thought I would share John’s background and amazing career so far.

John was educated at Liverpool’s Jesuit St. Francis Xavier’s College and at New York’s Cornell University for advanced studies in Hotel Management. In 1965, he joined Cunard, working in a junior capacity on vessels such as Queen Elizabeth, Carinthia, Carmania and Franconia. In December 1968, John joined the new QE2 in the Clyde and he remained with her while he gained experience in all aspects of hotel operation at sea. The maiden voyage of Cunard Adventurer spirited him away in 1971 and six months later he was transferred to the Cunard Ambassador for its maiden voyage. By 1976 the Cunard Princess was being completed and John was seconded to La Spezia, Italy for the final six months of the building. He moved to top echelons two years later, when in 1978 he was promoted to become Hotel Manager of Cunard Princess, and in April 1981 he was again promoted this time to the position of Hotel Manager aboard QE2, and is currently the longest serving four-stripe officer aboard any of our ships. During his time as Hotel Manager John has looked after many of the most famous names in show business and many heads of state, including Nelson Mandela. He has also met many of the immediate Royal Family, including Her Majesty The Queen, Prince Phillip, The Queen Mother on a couple of occasions, and the late Princess Diana. In the early 1970’s John married a local girl, Marie, who was at the time a presenter with BBC Radio Merseyside. They live in a small village just outside Liverpool with their son, Johnny, who is a Barrister.

On presenting the award, Chris Hayman, Publisher, Seatrade, said: “This award is given to special people who have performed magnificently over the years and I can think of no better person than Cunard’s John Duffy to have received this recognition during the final year of QE2 service.”

Pictured with Carol Marlow, Cunard’s President and Managing Director, she added: “This award is well deserved by John who has served Cunard with distinction since joining the company in 1965. He played a key role in making QE2 the best-loved ship in the world and we look forward to his joining our flagship Queen Mary 2 in March 2009.”

And now, here is my interview with John.

Firstly, congratulations on being honoured with such an award. How were you first informed, and what does it mean to you?

Thank you. I was first informed that I was on the shortlist for the award by Carol Marlow on the Bridge of the QE2 in Dubai! I felt greatly honoured to be considered for this Award, but declined to go to Venice for the possible presentation as it was to be held a few days after I had left QE2 in Dubai. Whilst at home some weeks later, Public Relations Manager Eric Flounders, telephoned me to say that indeed I had won the Award and it would be presented to me at a Luncheon in London. I was of course very proud to receive this Award but I must say that the Award just reflects on my wonderful staff on board QE2 and the support of my family at home.

You have had an incredible career at sea. What do you think kept you at sea all these years?

Having attained the position of Hotel Manager QE2, in l98l, which of course was the most prestigious liner in the world, where else would I go to better myself? I was of course, over the years, offered innumerable prestigious positions elsewhere, but my loyalties remained with QE2 and Cunard Line.

Could you tell us what it was like when you first went to sea and how it has changed?

Life itself evolves and everything in the world evolves, likewise Ocean travel. In my early days at sea the ships I sailed on, such as the Queen Elizabeth, Carinthia, Carmania, Franconia etc., were transatlantic liners and our service was mainly confined to the North Atlantic, with some cruising in the winter months. The Carinthia for example used to spend the Spring Summer and autumn sailing from Liverpool to Montreal and in the winter months, when the St. Lawrence was frozen, we would sail from Liverpool to New York via Halifax Nova Scotia. In today’s world most Line voyages have ceased with the exception of course, of Queen Mary 2 and cruising is the main form of sea travel. This has been brought about of course, as we all know, by the advent of airline travel. In my lifetime the democratisation of cruising in my lifetime is a phenomenon

With so many memories and the numerous people you have met, could you highlight some of the most memorable moments in your career?

The 27.5 years as Hotel Manager of QE2 is indeed one long memory. The ship had the reputation of being the greatest ocean liner in the world, and to be involved in making her thus and maintaining thus, will be forever memorable……………….to categorise individual memories is most difficult there have been so many. However, to give a few examples, the visits of Her Majesty The Queen, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, and other Senior Members of the Royal Family including Diana the Princess of Wales; Nelson Mandela’s voyage on board and the beautiful personal letter he wrote to me after the trip; leaving Yokohama in the early eighties, and an estimated one million people watching our departure; the first visit to Liverpool in l990 when again one million people witnessed the sailing of the Great Lady, sail up the Mersey into my home port; Being the centrepiece in the Hudson River celebrating the Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty and the wonderful welcome in Sydney each year on the World Cruise…….These are but a few of the thousands and thousands of memorable occasions which I cherish.

I know it is hard but could you sum up your feelings towards QE2 and on leaving her for the last time?

QE2 was a large part of my life and I was always immensely proud of the wonderful vessel she was. Admired and extremely popular throughout the world; I had this tremendous pride in her throughout my 27.5 years I sailed in her as Hotel Manager. She was iconic, a true symbol of prestige and elegance. My emotions were running high during the final days of de-storing in Dubai. I felt great sadness and a heavy heart when I finally walked down the gangway at 05.00am on the 2nd December 2008. Somehow she looked forlorn – an empty vessel without a sound! The flight path of the aircraft flying from Dubai to Manchester, flew directly over Her, shortly after daybreak, it was as though the Pilot had purposely flown over her, to give me one last lingering gaze of this majestic Lady!

You will soon be joining Queen Mary 2. How do you feel about this new challenge after so many years on another ship?

As I mentioned earlier, life evolves, and Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria are two great liners following in the wake of their famous predecessors, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary and QE2……..They all uphold the Cunard traditions – therefore I am looking forward to joining Queen Mary 2, to help carry the baton forward in true Cunard fashion.

As a Hotel Manager what is the most frequent question you are asked and what is the answer?

Probably “How do you manage to keep the standards as high as they are on the QE2 for so many years?”, and the answer I give is that, the Crewmembers always take great pride in working on board QE2 and there has always been great teamwork in maintaining the high standards. I always added QE2 is a very happy ship affording ease of management. The management ashore has always worked closely with the on board team also

What does “We are Cunard” mean to you?

High standards through “White Star Service”, delivered with elegance and pride.

Is there anywhere in the world you have not been to yet and would love to go?

No, not really.

When you are on leave, what is your perfect night?

My perfect night – sitting on our verandah, on a warm summer’s evening, admiring our extensive gardens, in which we take great pride, and have been working in all day, with my wife, my son and our pet shih tzu Oscar, a “G & T” in hand – awaiting a wonderful dinner cooked by my wife and a glass or two of wine, till the sun goes down. Paradise!

Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?

Yes…….Over the years whenever Everton have won the Cup at Wembley, I have always been away! I have been there when they have lost in the Cup Final, so my unfulfilled dream is to be at Wembley Stadium when Everton win the FA Cup………hopefully this year!!!!

What is your favourite quote and who said it?

“Ask not what your Country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country.” John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech and can be applied also to the ship on which you sail.

Do you have any other stories we could include?

Well, one of many, I really felt part of the fixtures and fittings on QE2 when having met Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in l982, she made a return visit in l989 – upon greeting her at the Gangway, she said to me “My goodness, are you still here?” – I wonder what she would think if twenty years later, she were alive and able to see me aboard the Queen Mary 2!!!!

Thank you so much John for taking the time to talk to me and for some great answers. I love the fact there is nowhere really left in the world that you haven’t visited and you would love to go to – now there aren’t many people who can say that – myself invluded!

Thank you again for logging on and I look forward to filing another report from our World Cruise on Thursday including some great pictures from Queen Victoria’s Hong Kong Sailaway.

Cheers – Alastair

Long awaited news about Queen Elizabeth is just around the corner, and I am excited to let our readers know that Queen Elizabeth voyages will officially go on General Sale from the 2nd of April 2009. Cunard World Club members should now have received their Email notification of this. Also you will be able to find out more information about our gracious new liner on the following website address from the 18th of March 2009.

www.cunard.com/queenelizabeth

Of course I’ll keep you updated on more news as I get it on this website as well.

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts have been associated with Cunard since the launch of Queen Mary 2 and it was great to have four graduates from this most prestigious Academy on board for our last leg of the world cruise. Following on from the success of last year’s World Cruise one cast joined us from Los Angeles to Auckland and we have another cast joining us from Hong Kong back to Southampton. One of the cast, Oliver Pengelly, was kind enough to share his thoughts with us for this week’s Blog which I’ll come to in a while along with what we have been up to this last week on the next stage of our World Cruise. Firstly though, here’s “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week of the 6^th to the 12^th of March.

March 7 1980

QE2 makes her first transit of the Suez Canal

March 9 2000

Cunard signs letter of intent with Chantiers de l’Atlantique (France) for Queen Mary 2.

March 9 1946

Queen Elizabeth leaves Southampton for her post war technical Re-fit.

March 11 1921

Antonia is launched and is the first of 6 to begin with the letter A because they were A Class liners.

March 11 1853

Samuel Cunard wrote to Viscount Canning requesting the contract to take mail from Liverpool to Halifax & Boston.

Before I get to Oliver’s guest Blog, I must tell you about two of our ports of call this last week which, as new ports for Queen Victoria (and for me for that matter), were equally exciting, but couldn’t have been more different. Firstly Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, which I have to admit, that when I first found out that it was on the itinerary, I had to look it up on a map. It would be fair to say the port of Rabaul, was rustic and fairly basic but certainly very unspoiled. Initially it had a feeling of a new location from the “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here” TV show, but I soon discovered it was a fascinating place. The main attraction for our stop over, were the hot springs and the incredible volcano which is continually erupting. These are a couple of pictures taken from that day and one of them the ship itself.

The continual eruption did mean it was quite dusty, but the locals seemed quite used to it, and not in the least bothered by the rumblings from the volcano which sounded like continual thunder. Speaking of the locals they were genuinely very charming as they smiled and waved at us with a certain amount of intrigue, as they only get a few visits from ships each year. What was lovely, was that although there were plenty of local handicrafts to buy they weren’t a bit pushy so looking round the market was actually good fun, although I couldn’t tell you what half the vegetables were!

Two days later we arrived in Saipan which is a beautiful island (but yes another need for the Atlas!). It’s the largest island, and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (no wonder they shorten it to CNMI). For many of our guests from America it was a pilgrimage to the memorial which remembered those who lost their lives in the “Battle of Saipan” in June 1944.

It was also an opportunity for all of us to enjoy some idyllic beaches, and yes I think the phrase “Paradise Found” applies to the beaches on this island which were stunning. I just couldn’t resist having this one taken, (not out of enjoyment of course), just for the Blog!

Meanwhile it’s time to get to Oliver Pengelly and the RADA team who were on board between Los Angeles and Auckland. The team were (from left to right) William Norris, Nicola Lyons, Oliver Pengelly and Emily Gilchrist.

It was a pleasure having them on board, not just because they were great to have around but for the extra enjoyment they were able to offer our guests with their acting workshops and performances. But I’ll leave Olly to tell you more about that but would like to take the opportunity to thank him for his great report and for all he and the team did in enhancing our guests voyage. But before I hand over to him, just to let you know that of course I’ll be back next week with more news from us around the world and a special interview with John Duffy who many of you will know as the remarkable and long serving Hotel Manager on QE2. Anyway that’s next week – in the meantime here’s Olly’s Guest Blog.

Oliver Pengelly – RADA Graduade Guest Blog

“HOW did you learn all those lines?” This is the question an actor is asked most frequently, often with a look of suspicion as if somehow we might secretly write them on pieces of scenery or use some elaborate trick of the mind. There is often a mysticism that surrounds an actor’s profession; his training, approach to work and the glamorous lifestyle, forever rushing from movie premiere to glitzy party, from studio to stage. It is indeed, an exciting and unpredictable job, but the reality of it is that you spend a lot more time taking a bus to some cold and dreary rehearsal room in South London (where most West-End productions rehearse), spending hours searching for part time work to fill in the gaps between jobs and a lot of time in your pyjamas watching day time television. In reality, it can be a very lonely and unglamorous profession.

So, when you get a phone call from Ellis Jones, previously vice-principal of RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), asking whether you would be interested in performing theatre on a Cunard ship, you’d be forgiven for thinking it a prank. Me? A scruffy young actor from Cornwall? I’d probably be more at home on a fishing trawler than an ocean liner. It takes about 2 seconds to decide- “I’ll do it”. Within two weeks, we’re in rehearsal. Luckily not in a dreary church hall in South London, but in one of the well equipped rehearsal studios in RADA, central London. This is the school in which I, and the other three actors in the cast, spent three years training. There are many memories from this building and plenty of history too. Not only is it the place where we learnt Shakespeare speeches, worried about impending assessments and stressed about our vocal qualities, but they are the same corridors that Alan Rickman, Sir Richard Attenborough, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Imelda Staunton, Vivien Leigh, Ralph Fiennes (just to name a few!) probably had exactly the same experiences.

Quickly down to work in the rehearsal room, the first task is to get to grips with the scripts and, if necessary, cut them to a reasonable length for Queen Victoria’s Royal Court stage. The plays on this contract are a double-bill by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov adapted by Brian Friel, The Bear and The Yalta Game, and Charles Dickens’ classic Hard Times. As it happens, the Chekhov plays are of a good length, but cutting Hard Times to about one hour is no mean feat. Pencils at the ready, the process sparks many a lively debate amongst actors and artistic team as we argue over lines and characters, being ruthless yet trying to keep the heart and style of the script- all on the first day of rehearsal! Pretty soon we are up on our feet as the “blocking” begins, followed by three weeks of researching, fleshing out and putting the detail into characters as each actor, with the help of Ellis and Dom (our team of directors), work through their method- oh and, of course, there are hours of line-learning!

After a dress rehearsal in a grey and rainy London we are finally ready to board Queen Victoria. It is hard not to feel like a travelling troupe of players as we arrive at the port with set and costumes, ready to set up and perform wherever and whenever we are asked. We needn’t worry about that though, as we soon spot the ship’s magnificent Royal Court Theatre which is a glamorous 837 seat theatre that, with its boxes, pays homage to some of the classic West-end theatre like the Garrick or the Wyndhams. The theatre is very well equipped too not only with a state of the art technology, but also with a very knowledgeable and dedicated technical team who have to support a raft of different shows. So, as soon as we arrive we are almost straight back into rehearsal. This time Technical Rehearsal, where the lights and sound effects are added to the production and things are tweaked a little to suit the stage and the space we are performing in. These rehearsals tend to take place in the early hours of the morning, because the theatre is utilised all through the day to provide almost constant entertainment for guests. Trust me; remembering your lines is even harder at 2am!

Once this is over, we are all ready to go. Time to relax? Oh no, we are quickly into planning one of the many workshops we run whilst on the voyage. On regular sea day mornings, the cast run a series of interactive classes. This is a chance for the guests to experience and gain an insight into our training, rehearsal process and techniques that we utilise in performance. It is also an opportunity for the budding actors on the ship to perform for each other, but more than anything, it is the chance to come and have fun. We have many a giggle during the workshops, as it is chance to do something a little different, learn some tricks of the trade, but also be a bit silly for 45 minutes!

Soon enough, performance days come and go and we are blessed with big, appreciative audiences that seem to enjoy the plays as much as we do. Of course, we get the opportunity to find out soon enough.

One of the nicest things about working on a Cunard ship are the privileges that are extended to us, which allows us to socialise with our audience and our audience to socialise with us. We love it when guests approach us and often they want to discuss the performances they have seen, the workshops or anything else related to the theatre.

It makes me realise how rare it is that an actor gets to meet his audience. It also makes me realise that all of a sudden here I am standing in a dinner jacket, in a beautiful lounge on one of the most luxurious ships in the world sipping on a citrus bellini. Maybe I am living up to the stereotype of an actor’s glamorous lifestyle! Inevitably, at that very moment, I am approached by a guest who, with a look of wonder, asks me the big question- “HOW did you learn all those lines?”

Let me put it this way, it’s much better than being asked, “WHY did you learn all those lines?”